Hantavirus update: Could cruise ship virus be the next coronavirus? WHO says it ‘expects’ more cases

As of Tuesday, one passenger was being monitored at the University of Nebraska’s Biocontainment Center and 15 others were in quarantine at the University of Nebraska’s National Quarantine Center. Two other passengers, one of whom was showing symptoms, were sent to a biocontainment unit at Emory University in Atlanta. The symptomatic person tested negative for the Andean variant of hantavirus, the only strain known to be spread between people. USA Today.

The World Health Organization has confirmed that there are at least 11 confirmed or suspected cases of hantavirus linked to the cruise ship outbreak worldwide, and three of them have died. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the number is likely to rise. “The incubation period is also six to eight weeks. So because of the interactions they had while they were still on the ship, especially before they started taking some infectious disease precautions… we would expect to see more cases,” he said at a Tuesday press conference on USA TODAY.

Also read: Hantavirus outbreak: 5 things you need to know about virus, three deaths among Atlantic cruise passengers

The first generation cases were direct infections from the original source. Second-generation cases occur when an infected person passes it on to another person. Third-generation cases mean the virus is spreading again through another human chain.

Reports of possible third-generation transmission have sparked concerns online that the virus may now spread more easily from one person to another. However, just because a few people spread the virus to others doesn’t mean the virus is highly contagious.

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According to reports, most hantavirus infections occur when people inhale virus particles in the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents. CDC. In rare cases, it can also be spread through bites or scratches from infected rodents. Hantaviruses cause two serious illnesses: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which affects the lungs and is primarily found in the Western Hemisphere, including the United States; and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which affects the kidneys and is more common in Europe and Asia.

HPS is particularly dangerous. According to the CDC, 38% of people who develop respiratory symptoms from the disease are likely to die from it. Symptoms usually appear one to eight weeks after exposure to an infected rodent, starting with fatigue, fever and muscle aches and progressing to coughing, shortness of breath and dangerous fluid accumulation in the lungs.

While the Andean strain found in South America can spread from person to person in close contact, experts stress that even this spread is still limited.

There is currently no specific treatment for hantavirus. Patients receive supportive care, including rest, hydration, and symptom management. Patients with severe dyspnea may require intubation, and renal complications from HFRS may require dialysis.